Golf green drill



Dec. 1,1942. w. DETTLOFF ETAL 9 2,303,726

' GOLF GREEN DRILL Filed April 10, 194;" ,4 Sheets- Sheetl Inventor M4047 247-72 an; z rwwlk $01772 an- Attorney Deep. 1, 1942. ETTLQFF Em2303326 GOLF GREEN DRILL Attorney Dec. 1, 1942. w. DETTLOF'F ETAL,2303%? GOLF GREEN DRiLL Filed April. 10, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 4Inveritor Attorney Patented Dec. 1, 1942 OFFICE GOLF GREEN DRILL WilliamDettlofi and Frank J. Dettloff,

Detroit, Mich. 1

Application April 10, 1941, Serial No. 357,982

1 Claim.

Our invention relates to an improved drill for use in reconditioninggolf course greens and the like, and the primary object of our inventionis to provide a powered drill of the gang type involving a plurality ofground drilling augers, the drill being entirely mechanized and drivenby a suitable motor whereby the augers are simultaneously operated, andmay be applied to the ground at the will of the operator simply byoperating the trundling handle of the device.

Another important object of our invention is to provide a simple andefficient arrangement of the character indicated which removes the earthfrom the holes drilled so that the holes better accept the water and thelike used in the I reconditioning, and wherein the rollers which supportthe device upon the ground are utilized to redistribute the drilledearth from the holes and roll the same into the surface of the green,

thereby reducing the number of operations which must be otherwiseperformed in reconditioning the green.

Other important objects and advantages of our invention will be apparentfrom a reading of the following description taken in connection with theappended drawings, wherein for purposes of illustration we have shown apreferred embodiment of our invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a general front elevational view of the embodiment.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary right hand side elevational view thereof.

Figure 3 is an enlarged rear elevational view of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken throughFigure 1 along the line 44 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken through Figure 3along the inner side of one of the end members of the frame.

Figure 6 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken through Figure 3along the line 66 and looking upwardly in the direction of the arrows.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the illustrative green drillcomprises the forwardly and rearwardly spaced ground engaging rollers 5and 6, respectively, which are rotatably mounted between the depressedends of transverse pairs of legs 1 and 8, respectively, which have theirupper ends abutted along the side of the lower part of the correspondingend members 9 and Hi to which the legs are attached by means of boltsII, whereby the end members 9 and Ill are supported at a suitableelevation above the ground I2 or surface of the golf green. The verticalplate-like end members 9 and H] are spaced and connected by a horizontalplate 13 engaged with the lower ends thereof, the central upper portionsof the members 9 and I9 being provided with vertically elongated slotsl4.

Each of the end members 9 and 19 has a pair of longitudinally spacedvertical guide ribs M and I5 which rise from a horizontal rib It engagedwith their-lower ends, the ribs I4, l5 and 16 being removably attachedto the inner surface of the end members. The upper ends of the verticalribs l4 and I5 abut horizontal lugs or abutments I1 and [8 which projectinwardly, as illustrated in Figure 5, toward each other and towardopposite sides of the vertical slot M to act as upper limit stops in amanner to be pointed out herein.

A horizontal gear assembly base plate 19 has end portions slidablypositioned between the vertical ribs I5 and I5 and sufliciently wide toengage the inwardly projecting portions of the lugs I1 and 18 in theuppermost position of the.

said assembly. This prevents the assembly from moving to such anelevation that the horizontal main shaft 20 can bear against the upperend of the vertical slots I4 in the end members 9 and The opposite endsof the shaft 20 are provided with bronze bushings 21 in which the shaftturns, and which in turn slide in the vertical slots 14; and externalcollars 22 which bear against the outer sides of the end members 9 and[9 to prevent relative longitudinal movement of the shaft 20. Inwardlyof the bushings 2| thereare collars 23 in which the end portions of theshaft 29 turn and which are fastened to the upper sides of the outer endportions of the gear assembly base plate l9, by suitable bolts 24 whichtraverse the collars and the base plate and whose upper ends areprovided with eyes 25 to act as anchors for the lower ends of thevertical contractile springs 26 whose upper ends are connected toU-bolts 21 secured to the laterally inwardly directed upper end portionof standards 29 which are bolted as indicated by numeral 30 to theforward and rearward marginal edge portions of the inner sides of theend members 9 and It, with their cross members 3| extending between andconnected to the upper parts of the standards.

Next to the collars 23 there are mounted on the base vertical tray-likeelements 32 which constitute ends for the inverted U-shaped crosssection housing 33 which encloses and protects the main shaft 20 and itsgears and the gears of the individual augers, the dependent edgeportions of the housing 33 being removably secured as indicated by thenumeral 34 to the front and rear edges of the auger assembly base plateI49.

Longitudinally spaced along the shaft 20 are pairs of oppositely facingbeveled gears 35 and 36, respectively, which are locked to the shaft bysuitable means indicated by the numeral 31, in positions to mesh withthe corresponding pairs of bevel gears 39 on the upper ends of the augershafts 49 which pass through openings in the base plate l9 and haveflexibly connected thereto as indicated by the numeral 4| the augers 42.

Thrust washers 43 separate the beveled gears 38 and 39 from the top ofthe base plate l9, while bushings 44 locked on the lower part of theauger shafts are separated from the bottom of the base plate l9 bythrust washers 45. By the means described rotation of the shaft 20 bythe connection of a-fiexible driving shaft 46 therewith at one end,produces rotation of the augers 42.

The sides of the augers are open so as to elevate the earth as the holeis drilledin the ground and prevent return of the earth into theresultant hole. The flexible driving shaft 46 is connected to suitablemotor means, such as a small gasoline engine which may be suitablyassociated with the present device.

Reclining L-shaped brackets 46 and 41 have the reclining standardportions thereof fastened to the top of the horizontalplate l3 of theframe,

with the foot portions projected forwardly from the front of the frameand bifurcated at their upper endsas indicated by the numerals 48. Pivotpins 49 traversethe bifurcations and pivotally support the depressedforward ends of the arms 50 projecting from andsecured to the lower endof the handle which is generally designated and which may be of the lawnmower type. The upper and rear portions of the legs 50 are arranged topass into slots 52 in the forward side of the gear assembly housing 33wherein these elements 50 are pivotally supported on pins 53 traversingbifurcated upper portions of standards 54 fastened to and rising fromthe gear assembly base plate l9 as shown in Figure 3, whereby the handle5| is operatively connected to the auger supporting carriage constitutedby the base plate l9 and the shaft and associated components, wherebydepression of the upper part of the handle 5| will result in depressionof the said assembly to bring the augers 42 into operative relation withthe ground. The springs 26 resist operative depression of the augercarriage and act to elevate the same after the downward pressure isreleased on the handle 5|.

Means for restoring the handle 5| to normal inoperative elevatedposition comprises a radial arm 55 fixed to the horizontal bar whoseopposite ends are secured to the braces 3| on the standards 29, and acontractile spring 51 having its upper end connected to the outer end ofthe arm 55 and its lower end connected to an eye 58 on a lateralprojection 59 on the lower end of a bar 60 which projects at rightangles from the handle 5| in a downward and rearward direction.

Although we have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment ofour invention, it is to be definitely understood that we do not wish tolimit the application of our invention thereto, except as may berequired by the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having described the claimed as new is:

Agang drillof the character described comprising a frame supported onfront and rear groundengaging rollers, said frame comprising a pair oflaterally spaced vertical end members formed with vertical slots, anauger carriage supported for vertical movement between said end membersand comprising a horizontal base, a horizontal main shaft extendingacross and rotatably connected to said horizontal base with the endsofsaid shaft projecting through the vertical slots in the end members, apower connectionto one end of said shaft, a pluralityof bevel drivegears fixed on said shaft, a plurality of vertical rotary auger shaftsmounted on said base and having bevel driven gears in mesh with saidbevel drive gears, an auger depending from and operatively connected toeach auger shaft, spring means connected between said horizontal baseand elevated portions of said end members resisting depression of saidbase from normal elevated position, and vertically swingable handleinvention, what is means supported on said frame and operativelyconnected to said auger carriage for depressing said carriage to engagesaid augers with the ground, and second spring means operating between apart of said frame and said handle for swinging the handle to itselevated position after auger applying depression of said handle.

WILLIAM DE'I'TLOFF.- FRANK J, DE'I'TLOFF.

